


My Eyes Are Always On You

by orphan_account



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV), Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
Genre: Almost smut, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Clay is a superhero, Kissing, M/M, Panic Attacks, Tony is a villain but he ain't bad, Twitter, hidden identities, im a sucker for hidden identities, sue me, super powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 05:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10869762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Tony is a globally known supervillain, gifted with the power of super strength.What happens if you throw his childhood best friend, his arch nemesis, fights, and Twitter accounts into the mix?





	My Eyes Are Always On You

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the lack of posting! Have this one shot to make up for it ;w;  
> Just in case I don't directly mention it: Tony's super villain name is The Fist

Tony stood on a high skyscraper, his usual gelled locks whipping behind him from the force of the wind hitting his frame relentlessly. He was actually enjoying the view before he saw his arch nemesis whiz past him in the corner of his eye as he prepared for the grueling battle ahead.

 

\---------

 

His longtime rival, The Manipulator, was your average goody-two-shoes hero with a skin tight suit adorned on his lanky figure who smiled brightly for the camera and was reckless when it came to saving people. He was ready to throw his life away for complete strangers, a trait of which Tony found personally infuriating and troublesome. Tony wasn't your average villain. It wasn't the fact that he enjoyed stirring up the chaos that he chose to be a villain, it was because his powers only created and ended in destruction no matter how many times he tried to be the "good guy". His overall intimidating figure and background just added to this villainous vibe that Tony wasn't even aware that he had before his former boyfriend approached him about becoming a super villain like he was.

Brad, the former boyfriend in question, knew that Tony was gifted with the rare ability of super strength which allowed him to effortlessly beat up people without even having to throw a second punch. Tony nonchalantly agreed when Brad approached him with the offer after he learned about how much money villains got from merchandise and the media practically fawning over the attractive "bad boy" character with a gentle heart that Tony sported. It was all fun, games, and money for Tony until The Manipulator and Clay Jensen showed up and smashed his perfect reality to the ground. The Manipulator was a tall boy with the power to hypnotize people with his dazzling bright blue eyes that no one could fail to miss, while Clay Jensen was his former best friend from elementary school that just happened to pop back up again into Tony's life at the most dramatic time. Clay practically acted as an anchor to normal reality away from all the super power bullshit and usually helped patch Tony up after an unsuccessful brawl with The Manipulator, or vise-versa. Despite the disapproving glances Clay would throw at Tony whenever he lugged himself over to Clay's house sporting a black eye or bruised rib, Clay never asked questions, a feat which Tony was forever thankful for. He wouldn't know what how he would explain to Clay that he was actually a villain that beat up good guys for a living. Despite this, Tony knew Clay never asked questions because he was guilty of showing up to the other boy's house beat up as well.

Clay sometimes visited Tony's garage with a busted lip or black eye, causing Tony to mentally freak out as Clay stubbornly refused to let the smaller boy treat any of his other wounds that he was hiding under his blood stained clothing. It was at these times, no matter how cliché it sounded, that Tony realized how much he truly wanted to protect Clay. Tony was made out of rocks, sturdy and strong mentally and physically while Clay was a balloon filled with helium that kept floating higher and higher. Tony kept Clay on the ground, keeping him safe while Clay lifted Tony up and reminded him to see the beauty in things. Tony needed Clay emotionally to survive, and Tony knew Clay needed him as well. Without Clay's overall optimistic outlook on everything and his beautiful small smiles, Tony wouldn't know what to do with himself. Clay had a calming atmosphere that followed him everywhere, and just being in his presence made Tony automatically better even after the bloodiest battles with The Manipulator. Despite the gap in time where they hadn't talked to each other for a few years after Hannah died, they were closer than ever, and there was an unspoken vow that passed inaudibly between the two boys that they would always be there for each other no matter what. It was then when Tony realized, finally, that all villains have a motive. Whether it be something truly evil or to just protect something or someone, there's always a reason. Tony came to the resolution that his motive was to keep Clay Jensen alive. Tony didn't care whether his feelings for the pale skinned boy were romantic or platonic, Tony swore to himself that he wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt Clay like Hannah's death did ever again.

He would fight The Manipulator - _Hell_ , he would fight anyone if it meant Clay was going to be ok. Even if that meant hiding the fact that he was a globally known super villain from Clay himself, shielding him away from the world of super powers in general, he would do it. Clay was a normal boy with no super powers from what Tony knew, so he decided there was no use getting him involved with his "villain" side due to a part of him that was afraid that once his enemy knew that Clay Jensen, a skinny white boy that pedaled around like he owned the place, was his ultimate weakness that they would target him just to get Tony.

 

And Tony Padilla could _not_ let that happen.

 

\------------------------------------------------------

 

**The Present**

 

Tony effortlessly dodged a punch that was sent towards him by The Manipulator which allowed for his enemy to be thrown forwards. He was bracing for the collision of his fist to Tony's face, and when it never came, The Manipulator's weight shifted as he fell on top of himself in a heap of defeat. Despite The Manipulator scrambling to get back up again, Tony was in full control of the situation with his opponent on the ground, so he used this position to his advantage as he pinned The Manipulator down on the rooftop of the skyscraper. Tony looked away immediately when his rival tried to meet his gaze because he was well aware that those blue eyes were toxic. One long stare could make anyone want to do The Manipulator's bidding, and Tony was not about to risk the chance of him being controlled while they were both on top of a roof. Tony instead raised his fist in the air, feeling pain erupt through his knuckles as he hit The Manipulator dead on the cheek, causing his head to swing backward from the impact. The other boy hissed in pain as he clutched his cheek, turning away from Tony as he spit blood onto the white concrete of the roof, permanently staining it. Tony frowned as a flower of guilt blossomed inside of his gut, his deep brown eyes inspecting his opponent's form. He was curled up on himself, his hands wrapped around his torso in pain, probably from when Tony had punched him in the stomach earlier in the battle. The Manipulator's entrancing blue eyes caught Tony's gaze, who in return looked away quickly as the guilt in his gut rose. The Manipulator's eyes held a striking resemblance to Clay's, usually giving Tony a gentle reminder about who he was fighting to protect in most battles. In this situation, however, seeing those beautiful blue eyes on the ground with blood dribbling down his opponent's chin just made Tony uneasy. Tony grimaced as he backed away, extending his hand out to The Manipulator to help him up as the guilt continued to bubble inside of him. There was technically no rule saying that villains couldn't be kind sometimes, so Tony was set on easing the tension between the two, even if it was only slightly. In return, The Manipulator just looked at Tony in shock as he silently accepted the gesture, his expression instantly souring as his free hand flew to his ribs and squeezed them. Tony carefully helped the other boy down from the roof as the duo sneaked around the empty skyscraper and out the door into an alleyway, out of the public eye. Tony didn't want to think about what the media would do if pictures of him holding hands and gingerly helping a superhero into an alley were leaked.

At that thought, Tony stiffly let go of The Manipulator's hand and swiftly turned away, his mind already occupied with pulling his Mustang into Clay's driveway and going to Monet's. He didn't get that far, however, before he sensed a figurine looming over him. He looked up only to meet the piercing blue eyes as Clay's face flashed in his mind once again. He felt his body melting as he looked into the boy's eyes, and he was not even sure whether it was because of his hypnotizing eyes or just because his eyes looked like Clay's. Damn, when did Tony become such a _softie_? He could practically hear his older brother's teasing laughter before The Manipulator's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What, did you bring me down here to beat me up again or something?" He asked, his voice breaking slightly at the end. Tony could see the beginning of a purple bruise peeking out from under his mask, making Tony's stomach flip as he thought about what he had done earlier. He was never a big fan of beating up people, especially ones that looked like Clay Jensen. Tony just blinked at the other boy before shaking his head and sighing. "What did you bring me down here for?" He persisted, his voice laced with fear and something Tony could not exactly put his finger on. It sounded a little like regret.

"I just wanted to help you out a little bit I guess, just because I'm a villain that doesn't mean I have to be heartless," Tony replied nonchalantly as he tried to walk past the other boy, but he was still blocked off. Tony mentally cursed the height difference as he heard a huffed out laugh coming from The Manipulator. "We've been fighting for months, and now you're starting to feel bad for whooping my ass?" The Manipulator joked as he backed away from Tony, who in response just rolled his eyes.

"Don't make me regret it," Tony replied cooly as he finally got past The Manipulator's body barrier that restricted him from leaving and started walking out of the alley. All he heard was muffled laughter and the sound of shoes pounding against the pavement as he felt something tug on his arm. Tony let out a groan as he turned to the other boy once again, his body betraying him as a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Acquaintances? We can still beat each other up, but promise not to kill me," He asked as he flashed Tony a crooked smile that made his insides warm. Tony just nodded quickly as he sent the boy a forced smile and disappeared into the bustling streets.

 _Softie_ , his mind repeated as he spared one final glance at the taller boy who was staring at him from inside the alley. He was leaning on the dirtied alley wall and his hand was still wrapped around his torso, and his eyes widened when he saw that Tony had noticed him staring. Tony felt heat rising to his cheeks as gave an awkward wave and shuffled out into the crowd once and for all.

 

\--------

 

Tony walked into Monet's with a skip in his step as he sat himself down at the table closest to the window so he could watch the sunlight stream in and watch the people pass by. He had no visible scratches or bruises so he happily awaited Clay's arrival, for once he didn't feel any dread about having to explain himself after a battle. He waited for about thirty minutes before the barista took pity on him and gave him a free scone. Tony drummed his fingers against the table impatiently as he stared off into the window and chewed on the blueberry scone sluggishly. He practically jumped out of his seat when his phone dinged with a simple message from Clay.

**Clay's Cell: ya sorry I have to take a rain check. I'm not feeling too well :p**

Tony let out a defeated sigh as he stuck the phone back into the pocket of his leather jacket and got up to return home and maybe tend to some of his wounds instead of pretending that they were not there. He was about halfway out the door of the homey café before he heard a familiar voice calling to get his attention. "Yo, Tony!" Skye called, beckoning him to talk to her at the counter. He gave in and shuffled to her, and plopping down on a stool before greeting her. He usually talked to her about supernatural topics due to him sometimes being all too clueless about current beef and battles between superheroes and villains. She was always happy to get him caught up on the latest news and conspiracies and even talked about how one day when she escaped the café she was going to start her own newspaper dedicated to superheroes and villains for people like Tony who did not have a clue. He was ready for her to fill him in on everything when she pulled out her phone, which was displaying a grainy photo of two people on the top of a building holding hands. Tony's breath hitched as he squinted his eyes and realized that the photo was definitely of him and The Manipulator. "Have you heard about the forbidden love between The Manipulator and The Fist?" She squealed, fanning herself dramatically as she brought the phone closer to Tony. Tony's mouth felt dry as he tried to force out an answer.

"The _what_?" He croaked, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. Skye just rolled her eyes and explained slowly, as though Tony was a little kid who needed to soak up everything she was saying. "The Manipulator and The Fist were caught holding hands after a battle, and The Fist literally helped his arch nemesis into an alleyway to talk or something. The Manipulator was totally checking The Fist out! Someone recorded the whole thing and uploaded on Youtube and it went viral in a few hours," she explained as she gushed over the picture and swiped through her phone and showed Tony the video. It was only a few seconds long as it showed Tony walked away and waving awkwardly to The Manipulator who in return just stared as if in a trance with some cheesy pop music played over the scene. Tony fought the urge to barf as he read the comments that were screaming about how cute the two were together. He stared up at Skye in disbelief as she continued.

"Haven't you noticed how The Fist beats every other superhero up without even hesitating but the most he ever does to The Manipulator is stare at him and punch him a little?" She exclaimed, shooting Tony a desperate look. Tony just pursed his lips as he nodded. Tony knew that he always went a little easy on The Manipulator because of his resemblance to Clay despite him being his arch-enemy. What he didn't know, thought, was that it was that obvious to the public. "Exactly! I wouldn't be surprised if they were already dating due to how weirdly they stare at each other when in battle. Did I tell you already about how The Fist is the _only_ person The Manipulator is following on Twitter?"

"Wait, ~~~~~~~~~~~~_what?_ The Manipulator has a Twitter? The Fist has a Twitter?" Tony asked as he practically choked on the scone he was eating. He barely touched social media, much less owned an account himself. It wasn't a big surprise that someone was impersonating him, but it was a surprise that people actually believed the imposter. Skye just nodded slowly in response as she quirked an eyebrow up at him. "Everyone has a Twitter, Tony. Even the president has a Twitter."

"Uh huh, interesting. Well, thanks for the info, I have to go. See you soon," Tony said quickly as he quickly finished off his scone and got up from the stool. He was about to leave before Skye tugged on his jacket, making him turn around and look at her once again. "Weren't you waiting for Clay?" She asked, giving Tony a pitying look. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that Tony was head-over-heels for Clay even before he broke up with Brad. His affections for the taller boy were obvious to everyone around him except for Clay, which was honestly quite frustrating at times. Tony just nodded and shrugged in response.

"You might want to go and check on him. I saw him earlier sporting a big bruise and blood all over his hoodie," she explained slowly, not wanting to freak Tony out. Tony gulped and thanked Skye quickly as he dashed out the door and into the parking lot. He slid into the driver's seat and drove quickly over to the Jensen's house.

It wasn't long before he parked the red Mustang outside, his heartbeat hammering in his chest. He always felt like it was his fault whenever Clay got hurt for not being there to protect him, despite him swearing on his life that he would never let anything happen to the taller boy. He didn't want to be too late ever again after seeing the girl that lit up everyone's faces with a smile being pulled into an ambulance, and then into a body bag, before finally being buried underground in an eternal sleep forever. He couldn't let that happen ever again, especially not with his Clay Jensen. Tony rapped his knuckles against the wooden door, immediately regretting it as he retracted his hand in pain. His knuckles were badly bruised from punching The Manipulator repeatedly, so maybe hitting them again against a door wasn't the smartest idea. He was about to ring the doorbell before Mrs. Jensen opened the door, a concerned expression embellishing her usual calm and collected features. "Tony!" She exclaimed, pulling the boy into a welcoming embrace as she directed him upstairs.

"Clay's holed up in his room nursing some nasty bruises by himself because he's too stubborn to let anyone help him, feel free to go talk to him but remember the open door policy," she said as she gave the boy an exaggerated wink before trotting downstairs. Tony felt his cheeks heat up as he walked into the room to see Clay curled up on his bed with an ice pack pressed against a rather large purple bruise. He felt his stomach churn as he noticed the dried blood that clung to the inside of the other boy's neck and on his hoodie. Clay's eyes widened as he saw Tony approach him, his pale cheeks gradually melting into a light pink hue.

"Well if it isn't my favorite Italian mobster looking best friend. What's up?" He asked as a small smile erupted from his face, as he patted on the mattress, inaudibly asking for a Tony to join him on the bed. Tony obliged and squinted at Clay as he analyzed the bits of deep blue and purple that were poking out from underneath Clay's hoodie. "Well if it isn't my favorite beaten up best friend who is supposed to be 'not feeling well' who also missed out on a free blueberry scone at Monet's," Tony retorted as he watched Clay's smile falter.

"Seriously, dude, who did this to you?" He asked as he gestured at the multitude of bruises that peppered Clay's pale skin. The boy just glowered in response as silence occupied the room.

"It doesn't matter, Tony," Clay said quietly, his tone begging for Tony not to push the topic. Tony didn't care, though, as concern overthrew his other senses. "It does matter, Clay, because you matter to me more than you could ever imagine," he said as he reached over and squeezed Clay's free hand with his calloused and rough one. Clay blinked hard as his cheeks flushed even redder. He unlaced his fingers from Tony's and distanced himself from the shorter boy, a saddened frown adorning his face.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, anyway," Clay admitted. "Knowing you, you would probably get even more worried knowing that I do this often."

Tony just furrowed his brows and stared at Clay in disbelief. What did he mean? What could he mean?

"What?" He rasped. Concern pulsed through his veins as he felt a wave of worry hit him as he twiddled his thumbs together nervously. He never tore his eyes from Clay's form, as it seemed like Clay was slowly shrinking in on himself in hopes to make himself disappear into thin air. Tony pursed his lips as he watched desperate blue eyes dart around the room, the small space now feeling cramped as the tension between the two gradually got thicker, as Clay searched for anywhere to look other than the smaller boy's eyes. "Clay, answer me, please. Are you doing anything to hurt yourself?" Tony repeated, planting his hand on Clay's shoulder to force the boy to look at him.

"Well, if you put it like that, I guess?" Clay whispered sheepishly, shrugging slightly as he sunk down into the bed. Tony felt his heart rate pick up speed in fear, his jaw going slack as his mind raced with possibilities. Hannah's face once again resurfaced in his mind as he mulled over what Clay meant with his vague answers. Was he hurting himself? Did he do _this_  to himself? With that thought Tony's hands flew to Clay's arms, forcefully rolling up his sleeves as Clay yelped in surprise, but Tony couldn't hear him over the sound of his own thoughts running a mile a minute. His eyes searched frantically for any signs of a self-inflicted cut of any sort, Hannah's lifeless body flashing and replaying in his mind over and over again. He could practically see Clay's dead body replacing her's in the ambulance, his usual pale body a now ghostly white as Ruby red blood ran swiftly down his arms and onto the sidewalk. Tony couldn't let that happen. Tony _wouldn't_ let that happen. He snapped out of his trance when he felt a strong force pushing him backward and off the bed, his back colliding with the floor with a thud. Tony hissed in pain as he blinked and recollected his composure, he let out a soft exhale to calm his racing heartbeat and thoughts.

"Tony! Oh my God, what was that are you ok? Holy sh- I knew I shouldn't have told you! I knew you would worry! Fuck, all I do is fuck up," Clay babbled, his voice breaking as his voice softened and trailed off. He heard Clay mumble something under his breath as he other boy rubbed his arm where Tony was gripping it. Tony felt his heart sink as he quickly got up off the ground, and opened his mouth to apologize before Clay beat him to it. "You should go, Tony. I don't want to see how you would react if I told you the truth. I don't want you to do whatever that was again because you looked so scared..."

"Clay, wait-"

"Please just go," Clay said as his voice cracked. The taller boy advanced towards Tony, forcing him into the hallway before he closed the door hesitantly. Tony heard a small clicking noise indicating that Clay had locked the door as he banged impatiently on it, repeating Clay's name. After what felt like an eternity he finally got an answer. "I don't want you to be so worried about me because when you worry too much about me you forget about yourself. I see those bruises on your neck and knuckles, Tony."

Tony chewed lip as he furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn't deny what Clay was saying because it was true. Tony's whole body ached with neglect as he stood like a statue in front of the door that was serving as a barrier between him and Clay. He stood there aimlessly, completely unaware of what was going on beyond it. For once in his life, Tony was helpless and had no say in what Clay Jensen was going to do and the realization choked him as he mulled over whether or not he was betraying Hannah or not. He felt anger erase all the concern, leaving a trail of guilt in its wake. He cursed under his breath as he clenched his fist and stomped out of the house and back into his Mustang.

_Trying to protect Clay Jensen was a lot harder than he originally intended it to be._

\---------------

**_A Few Days Later. . ._ **

Tony stood atop a building once again, his eyes stinging from the wind blowing against his face ruthlessly, making them water. The rooftop was the only place he could go to relax, as he didn't want to return to Clay's house after the other boy had basically told Tony off for worrying about his health and forced him to leave. He had tried multiple times to swing by Monet's after his and Clay's fallout, but he eventually stopped coming altogether due to Skye just talking about The Manipulator. The original video and image had gone viral and circulated on multiple platforms, succeeding to make the public go insane and start shipping the two. Tony couldn't even go on social media without seeing fan art and fanfiction everywhere he looked. He hadn't seen The Manipulator since the alleyway incident, and he wouldn't be surprised if the hero was avoiding him on purpose due to the extra publicity. Tony was sure that if the public even _saw_ them together it would cause a shipping riot. Maybe the whole shipping dilemma was actually a blessing in disguise, as without his arch nemesis being there to contantly fight him every week, he could actually have some peace and quiet to get lost in his thoughts. Unfortunately, life was never too quiet for the super villain as Tony heard distant footsteps nearing him. He fought back the urge to groan in annoyance as he turned around to meet the chilling blue eyes of The Manipulator.

"Long time no see, acquaintance," the other boy said lightheartedly as he forced out a hollow laugh. Sadness rimmed The Manipulator's usual expressive and entrancing eyes, making Tony grimace. The Manipulator quickly noticed Tony's sour expression and raised an eyebrow in response. "What, don't like me anymore because literally everyone on the internet thinks we're dating?" 

"No! You just look, uhm, _sad_?" Tony blurted out without thinking, watching as The Manipulator's expression melted into a smirk. Amusement danced in his eyes, mixing together with the sadness that tainted the blue hue. The taller boy let out another hollow laugh as he responded. 

"I just feel like a waste of space, you know? Not in a suicidal way, but in a way that I'm brining people down by being so _fragile_."

"You're not fragile. If you've endured battles with a guy who has super strength, you're are certainly not fragile," Tony said smoothly as he heard The Manipulator laugh once more. Tony looked up to see the other boy shaking his head and letting out a long exhale.

"I guess you can say that because you know, but everyone else doesn't. To be honest with you, the whole reason I became a 'superhero' was so I could try and get stronger instead of relying on the people around me," The Manipulator said sadly. "I feel like me just being the skinny shy kid that always needs protecting just ends up hurting other people without them even realizing it."

Tony's heart sunk as he cautiously stepped closer to The Manipulator, pulling the taller boy into a hesitant but warm embrace. Never in a million years would he had thought that he would be the one comforting his so called "enemy" after previously punching the boy only a few days prior. He stayed silent as he listened to the boy's breathing return to normal. Tony let him go and stepped back, prompting the boy to continue. 

"I pushed away someone I really cared about because I was too afraid that I had hurt him because he reacted so negatively when I tried to tell him the truth about me," The Manipulator admitted. "I felt like at that point telling him to truth would only hurt him more. Hopefully distance will make him realize that I'm not worth his time, you know?"

Tony gulped as he remembered the fight he and Clay had only a few days ago before he forced himself to nod reassuringly. "Do you care about him?" Tony whispered.

"Yes. A lot."

"Well, it sounds like he cares about you too if he got so freaked out about you risking your life and being a superhero. Did you think about how it would effect him before you pushed him away after he displayed such concern for your wellbeing?"

The Manipulator bit his lip as he lowered his gaze to the ground. "No," he admitted. Tony just smiled in victory and moved closer again to give the hero a pat on the back. 

"Go to him and show him that you _do_ want him around instead of pushing him away. Don't worry about you holding them down. If they care about you enough to drop everything for you, the last thing they want to see if you getting worked up and sad about _them_. Got it?"

The Manipulator just stared and nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. Any trace of sadness had been erased and replaced with a look of sincere gratitude. "You're really good at this, you know that right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Talking to people. Giving them advice. You're really wise for someone so small," The Manipulator teased, swinging an arm over Tony's shoulders. The shorter boy just huffed as he let a smile engulf his face. 

"Keep on pulling shit like this and people will just start shipping us more, doofus."

"Oh God, don't even talk about that. I can't even log into Twitter without people tweeting me about how I should kiss and propose to you!" The Manipulator groaned, letting go of Tony is mock defeat. "I'm following you on Twitter, by the way. You should totally follow me back despite how people are going to flip their shit."

"Actually, that Twitter account is an imposter. I barely even touch social media because of the absolute garbage celebrities who have millions of followed on every platform even though they literally post the same exact thing!"

"You say that as thought you _wouldn't_ totally become one of those celebrities if you made an official Twitter account," The Manipulator mused, laughing as Tony frowned at the comment.

"Shut up and go get your man already."

"Ok fine, I'll tell him today how I feel and the truth," the taller boy said, his voice laced with determination as his eyes shone with purpose and meaning. He seemed to be talking more to himself than to Tony, but Tony couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit proud of the hero as he smiled. "See ya, acquaintance!"

"See you and good luck," Tony said quietly as he watched The Manipulator bound off the roof and towards who knows where energetically. He inhaled sharply as he climed down the building and towards his car which was parked in some restaurant's parking lot. He slipped into the driver's seat and set off towards the Jensen's household. 

_Now to listen to my own advice. Just tell the boy how you feel and the truth, Padilla._

_\--------_

Tony walked up to the Jensen's porch hesitantly, his mind screaming that this was not a good idea, especially after he had originally gotten kicked out of the house by the same person he was about to spill his guts to. For all he knew, Clay probably hated him and thought he was a complete weirdo for freaking out like that. He tried calming his racing thoughts by breathing in deeply, his mind flashing back to what he had said to The Manipulator. Sure, it was easy to say it, but was it easy to _actually_ do it? Probably not, but that never stopped Tony before. It was only when it came to Clay Jensen that he second guessed himself and his decision making abilities, but now was not the time to get anxious. Tony finally mustered up the courage to ring the doorbell when the door flew open making the short boy stagger back in utter surprise as it revealed a nervous looking Clay Jensen who was decked out in a button down shirt and jeans that were way different from his usual dull hoodie. The change was surprising and Tony blinked harshly in order to process the sight because the taller boy looked a little _too_ good in it. 

Clay's jaw went slack as his eyes widened when he saw Tony standing there awkwardly as both boys clamped their mouth shut and refused to talk first. "Oh, Tony, hi!" The taller boy croaked as he practically radiated with nervousness. Tony couldn't place a finger on why as he waved to Clay in response. "I was actually looking for you just now, come in!"

Tony curtly followed Clay up to his room as they sat awkwardly on the bed, both boys trying to figure out how to talk to each other after the fight that they had a few days ago. The tension eventually overwhelmed Tony as he opened his mouth to break it and tell Clay upfront that he was a super villain and that he had loved the boy since highschool, before Clay's voice crashed any coherent thinking he was doing up to that point.

"I'm The Manipulator!" The taller boy blurred out, his hands immediately flying to cover his mouth as though he hadn't meant to say the words that flew aimlessly out of it. Tony's train of thought stopped abruptly to a halt as his mouth dried and hung open. He couldn't deny that it made sense, but he couldn't imagine Clay saying those things to him. _Wait, who was the person Clay cared for, then? Hannah was dead so who could it be?_

_"What?"_

_"_ Ohfuck I didn't mean for it to come out like that, I was planning for some really cool reveal, God dammit-"

"Clay, slow down. I'm not mad or whatever, just kind of surprised. Actually, I'm The Fist."

Now it was Clay's thoughts to halt as he stared at the tanner boy with a blank and confused expression on his face that gradually turned into understanding. "That makes so much sense." 

Tony nodded, leaning closer to Clay as he could practically hear the wheels turning in the blue eyed boy's mind. He was struck with curiosity as he desperately wanted to ask Clay who he meant about him caring for someone a lot. Tony didn't even care if it _wasn't_ him, he just wanted to make sure whoever it was didn't fuck up. Despite what Clay had admitted to him about feeling "fragile" and not wanting to be fawned over too much, Tony still couldn't erase the feeling of slight protectiveness that washed over him whenever he imagined Clay being with another boy. 

"Clay?" Tony asked, nudging the other boy to try and snap him out of his thoughts. It was unsuccessful as Clay just made a slight sound signifying he was listening but his eyes stayed locked on the ground as he continued thinking. Tony just sighed slightly and kept on talking. "Who is it that you care so much for? You can tell me, I won't tell him, I promise."

Tony felt Clay visibly tense at the question, the taller boy finally moving to face Tony. His cheeks were dusted with a deep red hue as he scanned Tony's features, almost as if he was debating telling Tony something. Tony just stared back into Clay's bright blue eyes, trying to decipher what was going on in his head as the minutes passed by. Eventually his eyes stung as they watered, and Tony broke eye contact to blink. "It's ok if you don't want to tell me, Clay. I was just-"

Tony was cut off by the feeling of Clay's soft lips pressing up against his lightly. Tony froze as he processed what was happening, before he melted into the kiss as passion and want coursed through his veins. It felt so _right_ it didn't even seem real at first until Clay carefully ran his fingers through Tony's gelled locks. Tony gripped onto Clay shoulders and pulled him closer until all Tony could feel and sense was Clay. The boy tasted like mint and happiness, and Tony was hooked. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity until they broke away for air, both boys breathing heavily as they quickly tried to catch their breath and turn back to each other.

Tony was hesitant to look into Clay's expressive blue eyes, afraid that he would be met with a look of disgust or rejection despite Clay being the one to initiate the kiss. The only thing he saw was pure bliss and _need_ that danced together in Clay's eyes as Clay got closer and brought them again into another heated kiss. Clay whimpered against him as Tony ghosted his hands down Clay's whole body, making him shudder. The sound made Tony hard along with the feeling of Clay's growing erection pressed up against him as he gently pushed Clay onto the bed and mouthed at his neck. Clay made breathy pants that set Tony's face on fire as he sucked hickies into existence on the other boy's pale skin. Tony arched his back to try and unbutton the other boy's shirt, but Clay stopped him by teasingly rolling his hips onto Tony's hard on, making the smaller boy moan into Clay's shoulder. Clay smirked in victory as he rolled over, pinning Tony under him and kissing him again. 

The room became a chorus of whimpers, names, and moans until one of them finally gave in and came, prompting the other one to follow. They didn't even remember who came first because they were too caught up in just each other. They sat on the bed for a while, just panting and trying to catch their breaths as they laid there in shock and utter happiness that they could finally do something like _that_ together.

"Hey Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"It's always been you, since high school. You're the person I really care about."

"Clay, I've been waiting for years for you to say that."

"Don't make me regret it," Clay quoted mockingly as he elbowed Tony in the stomach, making the other boy genuinely laugh as he shook his head and brought Clay close.

"Hey Clay?"

"Yeah?"

"Doesn't this mean the ship and the internet was right?"

"I guess, but it's way more fun just to fuck with the public by sending mixed messages."

"What do you mean?"

"First we're going to make you an official Twitter so you can Tweet me really vague but gay tweets or vise-versa, and then we'll beat each other up to confuse the public!"

"Sounds like a plan."

**Author's Note:**

> WHHOOOP THAT WAS LONG 
> 
> This took me an entire week so plz give me feedback, comments, and kudos ;;w;;  
> A lot of edits and sleepless nights were sacrificed, so please point out any grammatical errors or give constructive criticism if you would like!
> 
> Special shout out to my editor MemesAndDreams for helping me create this shit show <3


End file.
